


Sisters and Smiles

by darkesky



Series: Heirs of Fate [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Children of Characters, F/F, F/M, Injury, Invisible Kingdom | Valla, M/M, Multi, Possession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 14:13:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18874846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkesky/pseuds/darkesky
Summary: She missed both of them bitterly. Sometimes, Soleil thought she’d just shatter thinking about it. Instead, she forced herself to smile over everything and ignore the fact the world crumbled around them. She didn’t possess Kiragi’s almost blind optimism, but she could certainly pretend she did.When she arrived at her own tent, Soleil sent a silent thank you to whatever gods ruled over the world. She wasn’t sure if she could handle anyone else in here. Closing the flap behind her, she crumpled to her knees and struggled not to cry.---In which Soleil and the other second-gen children seek out an answer and come to an unexpected conclusion





	Sisters and Smiles

**Author's Note:**

> okay, since there are 21 children, I'm not going to give a list of all of their parents, especially since some of them are somewhat clear? But I figured I'd clarify the main two here.
> 
> Soleil = Laslow x Hana  
> Siegbert = Xander x Sakura  
> However, they raised them alongside each other because Hana loves Sakura, and Laslow loves Xander, but they needed to connect their kingdom.

The sky was streaked with crimson like blood smeared across a canvas. The sun threatened to dip below the horizon and reveal the plethora of stars. She could have stayed there and stared at the sky forever. In some ways, the only peace to be found was found above them. It stayed completely passive to the injustices of the world below, and she wished she could maintain the same attitude.

The ground was a completely different story.

_ “What the fuck did you expect to happen? We told you not to go!” _

_ “I really feel like I’ve been punished enough without being yelled at!” _

_ “I really don’t think you have!” _

Soleil sighed before pushing herself off her back. It looked like watching the sunset would have to wait. While Soleil wasn’t  _ technically  _ in charge of the camp, she took her brother’s place while he was… Decommissioned. 

As she walked, she carefully ran through her father’s words, and slowly, she let a smile pull at her lips.

_ (“A wise woman once told me that we influence the emotions of those around us… And a smile is a powerful thing, Soleil,” Dad said to her, crouching on his knees so he could stay on the same level as her. He gently cupped her cheeks, and his thumb swiped at the tears pushing over her eyelashes. _

_ She stared at him, bottom lip quivering. “Daddy, it hurts.” _

_ “I know it does, sunshine. It’s okay.” A small smile started to crawl across his face. Then, suddenly, he got to his feet. “But let’s go show your dad your battle scars. Xander’s gonna think they’re  _ really  _ cool. Hell, even Uncle Odin will think they’re good!” _

_ “Daddy, Papa hates when you say ‘hell’,” Soleil quietly corrected him, her tears suddenly turning to giggles as his face went bright red. _

_ Through his blush, he beamed at her. “So, don’t tell Papa!”) _

Their camp centered around a firepit. There were only eight tents for twenty-one children, so naturally, everything felt a little cluttered. Almost everyone huddled on the outskirts of the circle, watching the scene unfold. As she strode forward, she paused to give Shiro a pointed look. He was meant to step up in the wake of Siegbert’s absence. Yet, the only person who did so was  _ her,  _ and Soleil was greatly unqualified. 

“So, guys, what’s going on?” she asked carefully, forcing the cheeriness in her voice.

Most notably, Ophelia flinched. She climbed to her feet and started babbling. “The heroic blood in our veins begged us to forsake sitting around and instead venture out to change the world! Our commands came from the heavens themselves, and we felt it only right to defy… D-defy  _ your  _ orders.”

“That’s not what I’m asking, sunshine.” Soleil approached the small group. It consisted of Lord Leo’s children and the frustrated team of healers. Dwyer made a face and sat down while Mitama idly blinked and waved her staff once again. She waved her hand a little. “Let me see Nina.”

“I don’t know why you want to see me,” Nina muttered.

She lifted an eyebrow. “Your face is a bloody mess, and the healers’ staffs aren’t working. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure that’s a good reason.”

“Soleil, I’m sorry,” Forrest said after a second.

Soleil pushed through the crowd and crouched in front of Nina. Immediately, she winced in sympathy. The right side of her face was carved up, blood streaking down that side like tears. In the mess and the gore, she could clearly identify one thing. Nina had lost her eye.

Nina scowled. “I don’t need your sympathy.”

“Thought you didn’t want to get yelled at, doll?” Soleil easily said. She reached up and brushed back some of her pale hair. Then, she glanced over her shoulder to spot one of the healers. “Dwyer, sweet, do you mind healing her up? I need to talk with Forrest and Ophelia real fast.”

“I’ll try my best,” Dwyer mumbled. 

She grinned. “That’s all I need.”

As she clambered to her feet, she pretended not to see the three of them exchanging eye contact. Whatever the three of them had planned was obviously something they’d die by. As they began to walk away, she struggled to find Shiro in the crowd. If the crown prince of Hoshido wanted to take over at any point, she wouldn’t protest it. Technically, she wasn’t in line for either throne… Siegbert, with their parents gone, was to be the king of Nohr and the fourth in line for Hoshido. 

Ophelia bounced on her heels anxiously. “My dear Soleil, where are you taking us? Our conversation needs not to be cloaked in utter secrecy!”

“Okay.” Soleil still brought them to her shared tent. Then, she ducked behind it and laid on the blanket again to watch the stars. It was better to look anywhere but  _ their  _ faces at this particular moment. “Why did you do it?”

“I don’t understand-”

“This is more directed at Forrest, I hate to say. I want a more straightforward answer.” She still didn’t look at either of them. Ophelia slowly sunk down beside her and laid there, almost completely still. 

Forrest kept his head ducked, and he had yet to sit beside them. “I think we… We figured out the curse that hit Siegbert.”

Soleil’s blood ran cold. “You were looking for a cure?”

“Of sorts… It was blood magic, so we could trace it back to the person who cast it. There are, after all, only two blood mages in  _ his  _ army.” Forrest’s voice broke a little. She knew exactly who it was before he even said it…

So, she said it for him. “It was Odin, wasn’t it?”

“If we could raise the curse on  _ him,  _ he could have reversed it. And… And I miss my dad,” Forrest whispered. 

Ophelia cuddled into Soleil suddenly, seeking comfort. When she spoke, she gave up on the fantastical way of speech. “He’s so much more  _ powerful  _ now. He used a spell… Ripped Nina’s eye straight out of the socket. That’s when… That’s when we fled.”

“I’m sorry.” Soleil pulled her tighter. She smiled humorlessly at the sky. “I know I’m supposed to punish you guys. Can you just tell the others I yelled at you?”

“I can head back to Nina?” Forrest asked.

She nodded. As Forrest’s footsteps headed away, Ophelia gently sighed and pressed a kiss against Soleil’s cheek. “I know we shouldn’t have, but the sky itself-”

“Can we just…” Soleil struggled to find the words before giving up. “Can we just watch the sky change?”

“Of course.”

-

Soleil lifted her chin as she pushed into the tent. In some ways, she was a princess now. Her father used to call her that, more as a nickname than anything else. She asked why Siegbert was a prince and she wasn’t when both of them had the same parents. All he did was laugh and say she was a princess in his books. Sometimes, being the little sibling of a prince had its own responsibilities. 

Inside, she couldn’t suppress her own smile. It was obvious the healers had been busy that day. All of their things had been tossed around recklessly. Forrest’s beret rested on top of Dwyer’s staff. Midori’s stash of herbs laid separated on the floor rather than a desk, and sitting atop the desk was Nina. There was barely enough room to move around, yet she still picked her way through the path she took every day. 

Then, she collapsed down on the chair beside the cot. “Hey, sorry I’m late. Things happened today, and people were stupid.”

“It wasn’t stupid,” Nina called. The person currently healing her, Mitama, gently whacked her. “What was that for?”

_ “You have lost your eye / In search for a cure from Dad / No cure, no Dad? Dumb,”  _ Mitama recited easily. 

Nina stared at Soleil intently, and her gaze slowly shifted to a brief display of fury. “It was a chance! It’s better than just sitting around and waiting to die! So, yeah, my dad ripped my eye out because he was under the influence of that  _ stupid  _ dragon. But I’d rather die trying to save things than die because I just wanted to keep our little summer camp up and running.”

“Summer camp?” Soleil laughed to herself. “Wouldn’t that be fun?”

The other girl groaned immediately, folding her arms over her chest. “Your brother’s been out for a  _ week.  _ And we haven’t been able to revive him. We had a chance to save him, and you didn’t even want to try.”

“Nina.” Soleil doesn’t know what she intended to say after that. Instead, she turned her attention to the boy curled up under the bed. He looked small without his armor, without the traditional black and purple of Nohr. His light red hair made his skin look ashen. Every line of his face, every feature relaxed by sleep, made him look a million years younger. Or, perhaps, he finally looked his age and everyone else got used to looking a million years older. 

Carefully, she reached for his hand and continued her tradition. Her own fingers curled about his wrist, feeling for his pulse. When she felt it, slow and steady with the lull of sleep, it slipped back up to play with his hair. “I’d do anything to save him, Nina. But if he woke up to a camp full of the dead because we tried, he’d die anyway.”

“There’s  _ got  _ to be in between! It’s just  _ life  _ or  _ death. Fight  _ or  _ flee.”  _ Nina paused. “Besides, who decided that you got to make those decisions? Last I checked, you’re not even  _ royalty.  _ Your parents were  _ retainers,  _ not princes and princesses.”

“I’m his sister. At the end of the day, that’s got to count for something. And… If Shiro stormed in here to take over my responsibility, I’d let him.” Soleil smiled weakly down at her brother. “The only one well-suited for this job is Siegbert, and I really appreciate you making sure I can never forget that.”

“We have to do  _ something,”  _ pressed Nina. 

Mitama suddenly cleared her throat, and Soleil startled. In a way, she had completely forgotten the other girl was inside there. Nina and Soleil easily went back and forth without any interruption. “I am going to catch some z’s. If you want to argue, please leave.”

“I’m not  _ allowed  _ to leave,” the injured girl spat. She gestured towards the empty eye socket. 

Soleil cleared her throat. “It’s fine. I’ll head back to my tent… Do you think you have one of your father’s eyepatches?”

“Why would I keep one of those?” As the words hung angrily in the air, Nina suddenly softened. “I… Probably do.”

“Then, I’m off to check that out!” Soleil sprung to her feet and saluted Nina. Her eyes wandered back over her shoulder to Siegbert’s prone form. Then, she forced a smile and headed out of the tent. 

As she strode through camp, she found herself on the brink of tears. She never used to be someone who cried a lot. Her father told her he didn’t believe in that showing weakness. He cried at the drop of a hat. Then again, her mother once informed her, in a joking manner, he was too sensitive over everything.

She missed both of them bitterly. Sometimes, Soleil thought she’d just  _ shatter  _ thinking about it. Instead, she forced herself to smile over everything and ignore the fact the world crumbled around them. She didn’t possess Kiragi’s almost blind optimism, but she could certainly pretend she did.

When she arrived at her own tent, Soleil sent a silent thank you to whatever gods ruled over the world. She wasn’t sure if she could handle anyone else in here. Closing the flap behind her, she crumpled to her knees and struggled not to cry. 

_ (“Mom, where are you going?” Soleil skidded to a stop in the doorway, leaning hard against it.  _

_ She froze before turning to her. “It’s my duty to protect Lady Sakura on the battlefield.” _

_ “But… But Dad’s going off to battle too.” The dots were starting to connect in her head. She immediately rushed forward. Her mom barely had enough time to toss down her katana as Soleil captured her in a hug.  _

_ Her mom laughed lightly. “Do you really think some stupid old dragon can kill me?” _

_ “Come home safely,” Soleil said instead of answering.  _

_ She smiled briefly. “You know it. And you keep your brother safe.”) _

Soleil, heaving with silent sobs, carefully crossed the floor of the tent to snag her bag. Of all her things, she insisted nobody look through these. With trembling fingers, she forced the drawstring open to look through her parents’ things. 

A tube of lipstick with the word  _ SAKURA  _ imprinted on the side. The strip of white fabric her mom kept constantly wrapped about her head. A signet ring belonging to the royal family…  _ Both  _ of them. She kept her mama’s bow and her dad’s sword near her at all times. Finally, the strangest gift she ever got from one of her four parents.

A strange orb. When she twisted it in the light, it sent fractals of light every which way. She would have brought it outside, but Shigure took an unusual interest in it. While she didn’t think he’d  _ steal  _ it from her, per se, she just didn’t want to share it with everyone else. He can know it exists from afar.

It doesn’t matter, Soleil reminded herself. She needed to work on finding something for Nina to cover up her eye.

-

Every night, they made a tradition of gathering around the campfire. All day, every day, they stayed separated to do whatever they could. All of the healers stayed behind to heal whoever got injured the day before. The rest separated into three groups. Either they hunted, they patrolled, or they trained for the impending battle. That’s why, more than anything, they needed this time just to sit around… Do nothing. 

As she sat down on one of the logs pushed near the fire, she did a mental count. Twenty-one people resided in the camp. Nina was decommissioned, and Midori insisted she wanted to see if her herbs could help. That way, Dwyer and Mitama could get a break from trying to heal it up. Forrest and Ophelia both retired for an early night. And… Siegbert was just gone.

She swallowed hard and smiled widely. “Shigure, want to kick us off with a song?”

“Oh, I don’t think…” Shigure noted the eager looks of the audience before shaking his head. “I only know that one song from my mother.”

“That’s not a good campfire song,” she lamented.

Kiragi glanced between the two before throwing his arm around his brother. Hisame bristled slightly. “I have a good one! Let’s see…  _ Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer! Take one down, pass it around-” _

“Did someone say beer?” Sophie asked, bouncing on her heels. In her arms, she held at least ten bottles bunched up in whatever way she could carry. 

Shiro hesitated. “Most of the people here are a little  _ young,  _ if you catch my drift.”

“Some of us have earned this booze,” Sophie replied, plopping down beside Dwyer. He eagerly took one, and slowly, the bottles were distributed as fairly as they possibly could. Soleil cradled her own within her hands, wondering if she should actually drink. 

Sitting beside her, Shiro leaned in and plucked it from her grip. “C’mon, Soleil. Don’t teach the little ones bad habits.”

“You’re in a peppy mood,” she noted, trying to steal it back. 

Something in his face faltered a little. “It’s… It’s easier to be peppy when you… When you take charge. I’m sorry.”

“You’re the crown prince. I’m nothing, remember?” The words came out a little too bitterly, so Soleil forced a loud laugh. “‘Course, I’m sure some of my enemies would disagree. Have you seen me with a sword?”

“It’s just… I’m not good with leading a large group. I’m good at the hunting teams and the fishing teams, but…” Shiro sighed and ducked his head. “I’m not going to be as good as Siegbert was. It’s better for me to be, like…”

“The fun uncle of the group? While I’m the mom?” Soleil proposed.

Shiro nodded. “Exactly.”

“Well, let’s trade. Next time someone loses an eye, you gotta handle it.” Soleil smiled widely. She pushed his shoulder, hopefully affectionate, and Shiro offered a tiny smile in agreement. Then, they looked back towards the group… Which now had neared  _ ninety  _ bottles of beer, and she had already become sick of hearing the song.

Dramatically, she cleared her throat and gestured at Shigure again. “My mama used to tell stories about yours! And do you know what she said?”

“What?” Shigure gave her the closest he ever does to a dirty look. She knew she picked on him a lot today, but Shigure easily had some of the best talents.

She grinned. “I heard she had  _ kickass  _ scary stories. The kind you could never fall asleep again to!”

“Oh… My mother never shared those with me.” Something in the mood flickered.

Before whatever exhausted glee could give up entirely, though, Rhajat cleared her throat. “Please, that child can hardly hope to compare with my scary stories. I have been well known for frightening those around me. Where should I begin…?”

With that crisis successfully averted, Soleil did a quick inventory in her head over everyone here. On the surface, she claimed she did this for the sole purpose of informing Siegbert of any new occurrences after…  _ If  _ he ever woke up. However, deep down, she knew she did this just to help make sure everyone survived the night. There was a deep-seated fear inside her that one day, they’d be missing someone and they’d be no good reason for it. 

She knew all of them better than perhaps she ought to. Around the time she was born, King Garon and Queen Mikoto had both died. As a result, King Xander and King Ryoma had found a way to negotiate peace terms. There was never a war, but all of them had trained like there would be one.

To help ties, their parents had begun to grow close together. This was the one, they thought, to guarantee there would never be another way. Hell, to assert ties, King Xander married the youngest princess of Hoshido to guarantee peace would come. 

_ (“I have a question, Dad.” Soleil hesitated. She had been thinking about this ever since she got back from her date… Well, more aptly named, scam. They just wanted more information on the royal family. Since she was Siegbert’s ‘retainer’ and was somewhat dating Ophelia, notably one of Leo’s children, they had been digging around.  _

_ He paused, putting down his sword. “It’s not gonna be too hard, is it? According to Selena, I don’t have a lot of brain cells left to give.” _

_ “No, Dad, it’s… Well, Uncle Leo married Uncle Odin  _ and  _ Uncle Niles, didn’t he?” She stared at him, seeing if the question gave away the next one… The harder one.  _

_ Instead, he laughed. “Yes. You upset you didn’t get to go to the wedding? I guarantee your wedding, sunshine, will be better than theirs in a million different ways-” _

_ “Why didn’t you marry Papa?” She blurted the words out. _

_ Freezing, something on his face trembled and revealed someone who looked years younger. Then, he turned to her and fully abandoned the notion of training. “That’s a complicated question.” _

_ “Don’t get me wrong! I love Mom and Mama too! Just… Why do I have four parents? You’re supposed to have two. That’s what Asugi said-” _

_ He held up a hand. “Give me a second. You’re allowed to have more than one or two parents, you know. You can have any number you want. I, personally, had three. Your father had none.” _

_ “But Mom doesn’t love you. She loves Mama… Lady Sakura.” She paused to correct herself. Maybe she shouldn’t refer to Sakura as her second mom. In public, they’ve made it perfectly clear to both her and Siegbert that they shouldn’t reveal their family secrets in that way. She would solely be Laslow and Hana’s daughter, Siegbert Xander and Sakura’s son. _

_ Finally, her dad found the words he sought for. “The kingdom needed peace, and a royal wedding was a great one of getting just that. So I lost the chance to carry his ring… Lady Hana lost her chance to wear Sakura’s that day too. But our arrangement worked out well, and now we all have two amazing children.” _

_ “Why am I-” _

_ “And that, sunshine, is the end of your one question. Maybe I’ll tell you the rest when you’re older.” He paused to card his hair, sending the gray strands in every which direction. “But I don’t even understand it now… It was unfair, but it made sense.”) _

So, they lived as that strange family unit for as long as they possibly could. Then, the invisible soldiers came. 

-

Right as Soleil almost fell asleep, the firepit exploded with unnatural light. The purple fire licked at their feet and threatened to completely overwhelm them. Soleil yelped and threw herself over Shiro, protecting him right as the fire burst to life again. 

“We’ve been found! Time to evacuate the camp!” cried Soleil, desperate to raise her voice over the crackles and hisses of the new fire. Just as they knew who cast the blood magic, she knew who cast the dark magic.

Shiro struggled beneath her. “Who’s going to fend them off?”

“Remember how we discussed turns? It’s yours. Go help them evacuate… I have an irate uncle to deal with!” Soleil unsheathed her Killing Edge and started running in the direction the fire was cast from. Shiro cursed and called after her, but she was long gone. Besides, if this was the only way to rouse her brother, she had to take a chance. 

Before she got to wherever they must be hiding, someone grabbed her wrist. She whipped around with her sword raised before said person raised their hands. Lightning danced between her fingers and illuminated her face. “Have no fear! It is merely Ophelia Dusk, ready to help you fend off the attackers!”

“Ophelia, you should be with your sister-”

“Like hell you can hold off all of our parents on your own,” Caeldori noted as she flew up beside them. How she had time to get to her pegasus was beyond her. Right behind her, Asugi and Rhajat quickly fell into line.

Soleil nodded. “Fine, okay. We’ll have a great chance of fending them off. Just… We know we can’t win. We just need to fend them off until the rest had a chance to evacuate. Then, it’s running away time.” 

“Heroes don’t need to run-”

“It’s a deal done,” Asugi said solemnly. “Last I checked, I  _ liked  _ having my head attached to my shoulders.”

They crossed the field, the five of them, just in term to see another blast of magic shoot towards them. Soleil dodged right and charged forward, reckless but determined. Beside her, Ophelia easily kept pace and started firing off a barrage of her own spells. 

_ “You really think you can escape Anankos?”  _ The voice rang out, twisted and changed but unmistakable. Soleil flinched, and Ophelia threw a concerned look. They skidded to a stop, and Soleil frantically counted the number of enemies they faced. She only could find six… Six wasn’t the worst. She could handle six.

Two rode atop steeds, though. One held a bow and arrow. Two prepared dark spells. And the final one… 

That was her dad.

“This is fucked up,” muttered Asugi, and Soleil had to agree.

Even with her papa, King Xander, in the crowd, her own dad seemed to take charge. He walked forward mechanically, none of the usual fluid grace he possessed. When she squinted, she could make the fine sheen over his eyes as if he was blind. Even the smile upon his face looked foreign. He was a puppet, a  _ skin  _ for Anankos, and it was impossible to even mistake him as owning his own body. 

Soleil cleared her throat. “We have so far. He’s not unstoppable… Nobody is.”

“My fathers are legends!” proclaimed Ophelia. “They are the stuff which could stop dragons in their tracks! What is another? With the legend coursing through my very same veins, I can easily fell one!”

“They’re not yours to have,” Rhajat said, voice dark. Her eyes skipped between them with a malice she hadn’t seen from the other girl. “Possession is just a way for the weak to hide. So who are the ones truly hiding to escape?”

“Six versus five is hardly a fair fight. Scared to lose?” Caeldori asked, voice deadly.

Soleil cleared her throat. “Rhajat, go for Niles first. Otherwise, he’ll shoot Caeldori out of the sky. Caeldori, fight off Xander. Be too fast for him to land a hit. Asugi, Peri is bloodthirsty and clever. You’ll have to be more so. Ophelia, take Odin and Leo. It’s a lot, I know, but…”

“Anankos’ strength is in your father.”

“And I’m the only one wielding a sword.” Soleil glanced at all of them, and a silent goodbye of sorts entered the air. It’s not a good group to go against them… But it’s as fair as it’s going to get. 

Her father’s face stared passively at her.  _ “Surrender, and we’ll spare your life. Submit to Anankos, and no harm will befall you. Don’t submit… Well, the dead end up joining the Vallite forces anyway.” _

“This isn’t life.” With that, Soleil lunged forward, her Killing Edge reaching forward. His face collapsed into a snarl, and she saw the purple light bursting forth from Odin’s hands to attack Ophelia. Niles tried to fight around Rhajat to reach Caeldori, who dodged as best as she could. 

Their swords collided with a resounding  _ clang,  _ echoing about the field. Her one advantage on him would be the speed she inherited from her mom. Her father always fought like a mom possessed, his sword technique unique to himself and only that. But she had gotten a mixture of his  _ and  _ her mother’s strict samurai techniques. Soleil also had her own advantages… And for that, she could maybe win.

If only blasted Anankos didn’t reside in his body. 

His sword swiped close to her neck, and Soleil let out a shriek despite herself. She did the only thing she could think to do, despite the stupidity. She threw up her forearm. The tip collided with her arm before it could slice through the fragile skin of her neck, but it ripped a deep gash into her arm.

Soleil gasped and stumbled backwards, the blood gushing free. Her fingertips went numb, and her sword tumbled straight out of her grip.

No, no,  _ no.  _ She couldn’t fall here. Pressing her injured arm against her, she grabbed a katana out and balanced it in her left hand. Not the most wieldy, but… But she could do it. 

Something flickered across his face, the rawest hint of humanity, and she seized it. “No matter what you do or who’s got control of you, I love you anyway.”

“S… Soleil?” The words were so soft, she almost could pretend she dreamt them. Then, his face collapsed back into Anankos’ puppet, and Soleil knew she couldn’t win here. But she could-

Ophelia screamed, and the bolt knocked Xander straight off his horse. His blade skittered across the ground, still infused with that raw magic. Her eyes flickered to it at the same moment her possessed father lunged at her. 

She barely dodged him and grabbed Siegfried. “Please, oh please…”

It responded to her instantly, excitedly. Something pulsed through her body. As its light struck her face in its gentle blue glow, her arm healed over. Not completely, not enough to take away all the pain, but to stop the blood. 

The battle tides had changed. 

-

By the time they found the rest of the group hiding in the nearby forest, Soleil was half asleep on her feet, and Ophelia couldn’t stop fussing over her. She had wrapped a bandage haphazardly around her arm and let that be that. However, she kept Siegfried carefully within her grip. It was too wide of a sword to fit into any of the sheaths dangling and bouncing off her hips and thighs. 

Soleil shouldn’t be able to wield this sword. She didn’t carry the bloodline of those dragons. Yet, somehow, she managed to convince a divine blade she did. Soleil truly was Xander’s daughter… But she only got to figure that out once she saw his possessed form hitting the ground. 

However, the sword refused to stop glowing. The buzz spread to her arm, and she was certain that if she were to remove the bandage, there might be  _ no  _ injury left. Whatever energy came off it was pure  _ light.  _ It allowed her to become something better… More regal. 

Ophelia gently nudged her. “Your hair looks so glossy and  _ shiny  _ now.”

“What are you talking about?” Soleil murmured back. 

However, Asugi cleared his throat and nodded. “You look pretty hot, Soleil. That sword gave you a full on makeover.”

“Princess Soleil,” added Caeldori.

She winked at the redheaded pegasus knight, and she quickly looked away. Satisfied, Soleil strode forward and ignored them. They could deal with her apparent change of appearance later. She doubted having glossier hair and fewer scars would really mend anything for her. 

Finally, they found a burning fire pit with the rest of their group huddled about it. It took about two seconds for Forrest to choke on a gasp. “Is that… Is that  _ Siegfried?” _

“You missed Sweets kicking ass as a royal, Shiro,” Asugi noted as he quickly joined his liege. 

Shiro admired the blade from where he stood. “You can feel that sword’s presence from  _ here.  _ That is a thing of magic.”

“It’s also what’s going to cause us to lose the war.”

Every head turned to Shigure, who stood with his back facing them. If Soleil strained hard enough, she almost thought she could see the tears on his face. “Those are the keys to stopping Anankos. If he knows that we can all wield them, he’ll destroy the other ones since they all still hold them. Say goodbye to Brynhildr, the Fujin Yumi, and Raijinto. Say goodbye to our chances of winning.”

“Geez, Shigure. Do you always have to be a buzzkill?” Sophie asked, crossing her arms and glowering at her older brother. 

He turned to her. “You kill a dragon with the  _ Fire Emblem.  _ The only way to charge the Fire Emblem is with those divine weapons. We’ve  _ lost.” _

“How come you’re just now mentioning this?” Midori lifted an eyebrow. “We could have helped before!”

“Wait, what about my parent’s blade? The Yato?” Kana asked, their voice wavering precariously. 

Shigure nodded. “That’s the Fire Emblem. We… We might as well give up now.”

“I don’t believe I ever taught that lesson to you.”

That… that was a new voice. That was someone she hadn’t seen in  _ months.  _ Soleil spun on her heel to face her. 

Azura appeared before them, soft blue light emanating off her…  _ Through  _ her. It made her appear as a ghost or a phantom. Whatever she was, it wasn’t real anymore. Siegfried vibrated at her presence and washed the same colored light upon her face. Azura stared at her two children for a long time before she turned slightly and faced the other three… Everyone knew Midori, Kana, Dwyer, Sophie, and Shigure were raised so close that it was as if they all possessed the same parents.

Sophie gasped. “How… How are you here, Mom?”

“It’s complicated… But I am not here for a graceful union, I’m afraid.” Azura’s face twisted slightly, and the somberness radiating off of her was almost enough to pause Soleil in her tracks. She almost wanted to break down in tears right then, right there.

Dwyer cleared his throat. “What about our parents? Are they outside their body like that?”

“Are you going to  _ stay?”  _ Kana demanded.

She paused. Then, she shook her head slightly. “I’m sorry I cannot give you any answers. Not now.”

“What does that mean?” Sophie asked, but it was clear her mother was ignoring her now.

Then, she smiled at them. “You’re on the right track… But you’re not dreaming hard enough. Sadly, Shigure is right. Once Anankos knows that the holy weapons still respond against him, that Siegbert might be out of commission but Soleil can still take it up in his stead, he’ll destroy the others. And to win against Anankos, you’ll need all of them.”

“All of the weapons?” Kana asked softly, kicking their legs absently. They ducked behind Sophie and hid behind her, eyes glowing as if they might start crying at any point. A sad smile twisted on Soleil’s face, but she looked away as quickly as she could. 

Shigure filled in the blank, nodding at Siegfried. “Yes. We still have four left to collect, and one might be a decent blow against him… But it won’t be enough. And one of the weapons is impossible to get.”

“He’s taking this too calmly,” muttered Sophie to Dwyer. He placed a hand on her knee and shook his head. 

“The Yatos cannot be taken out of their timeline. It’s impossible to expand a universe to that extent. You will have to get a divine blade somewhere else.” Azura paused before turning to both Ophelia and Soleil. “However, a rumor circulated through our camp once upon a time that your fathers hold the answer to that.”

“Outside of their  _ timeline?  _ Expand a  _ universe?  _ How do you intend we do that?” asked Ignatius. 

Shigure cleared his throat. “Soleil and Ophelia got translocation crystals from their parents… Ophelia got two. They can take a group of people into a new dimension.”

_ “Excuse you?”  _ demanded Soleil. “First of all, I don’t even know what that means. Second of all, you can’t just assume that’s what they do.”

“That’s what they do,” Ophelia interrupted.

Forrest and Nina both whipped to face their younger sister, anger contorting the features on their faces. Forrest was the first to find their voice. “You got something from Father, and you never thought it proper to tell us?”

“We’re a  _ family,”  _ spat Nina. “Or does that not matter?”

“This was my secret to hold! Sometimes, secrets are the wall which keeps us separated from the ones we love. It is a sad truth but-”

“But it’s complete bullshit,” growled Nina. She got to her feet, swaying slightly. “Families don’t keep things like  _ this.  _ Like, fucking, translocation crystals! You can keep talking to a ghost, or a hallucination, or whatever. I’m not staying.”

“Wait, Nina-”

“What? Do you have regrets now about not sharing everything about our fathers?” When Ophelia failed to respond right away, Nina took that as a cue to leave. Before anyone else could say something, Percy got to his feet and hurried after her.

Someone cleared their throat behind them. Soleil turned in time to see Sophie politely raising her hand. “Hi, hey, Azura’s  _ second  _ child. Do you get permission to speak?  _ Thanks.  _ What the fuck is going on?”

“Three orbs, three teams,” Shigure pressed, making a point to ignore his sister. “And Ophelia can be in charge of figuring out what that last divine sword will be. She’ll talk to her dad, and we’ll be able to change everything.”

“No way in  _ hell,”  _ Soleil said quickly. “First of all, Siegbert is in no condition to travel. Second of all, I don’t know what kind of world these  _ crystals  _ are able to bring us, but I’m guessing it’s more war. I need to protect my brother, and I need to protect Siegfried now, and I need… I need to protect what remains of Nohr.”

The second the words crossed her lips, it pressed into her almost oppressively. “Oh my God, I’m the wielder of Siegfried. Whoever wields Siegbert rules the country.”

“Soleil…” Shiro started to say.

She shook her head. “It’s… It’s in my bag. The crystal. I… I have to stay behind, so decide without me, okay?”

-

_ (Her mother’s shoulders heaved, and she couldn’t stop the great sobs from shaking her slight form. Soleil practically crawled across the floor to reach her. Weakly, her mother reached out and entangled their fingers together. In the doorway, she could feel her father’s eyes beating down on them. _

_ “What happened, Hana?” he asked softly, horrified. _

_ She looked up. Slowly, her left hand moved from holding her stomach and revealing the crimson streaking up and down her front. “It got her first… I went to Sakura, and she… She pulled out her yumi, and she shot.” _

_ “Oh, Hana…” Her father started to step towards her, but her mother’s bloodied hand traveled up and halted him in its track. She laughed and let her head fall back against the wall.  _

_ Soleil cleared her throat. “Please, Mom, don’t leave me.” _

_ “I’m not going to leave you. I’m…” She paused, searching for the words. Or maybe she paused because she’s slowly but steadily losing consciousness. “I’m not dying. Sakura will heal me soon.” _

_ “But she  _ shot  _ you!” Soleil protested. _

_ Her mother coughed, and this time, she turned her attention solely on her father. “They’re servants of Anankos. And there’s a plan… And I don’t know how it works… But it’ll make us  _ all  _ his servants. Laslow, take her far from here. Xander said he already hid Siegbert away.” _

_ “You got it, Hana.” He came up behind her, but Soleil fought violently. She couldn’t leave her mother, not when she didn’t know she would die there. _

_ Halfway out the door, Hana paused. “You’re a samurai now.”) _

Soleil never really mastered the art of climbing trees. She was just as clumsy as Sophie, who was  _ notorious  _ for that. Yet, still, she found herself hooking her arms in and pulling herself up. She just wanted to feel the sun on her face and everything was so  _ dark  _ right now. They warned her too. Don’t leave the forest, or you’re risking more than your own life.

_ (“Soleil… Run.” Her father stumbled as he supported himself against the wall, and a streak of crimson followed him as he limped alongside her. She didn’t have a single injury, but she also was a lot smaller than him. She could duck into crannies to hide herself away, and he only encouraged it. _

_ She froze and shook her head. “What are you saying?” _

_ “There’s… There’s something in the air.” He paused and took an audible, ragged breath. Blood pushed at his lips and dribbled down his face. Her blood went cold, and she wrapped her arms about herself.  _

_ Soleil hiccuped a smaller breath in. “I don’t feel it.” _

_ “He’s powerful now. He can cast a spell and possess us all. And I don’t want you to lose yourself.” He limped forward, cupping her face. “Smile for me, Soleil. Before I… Just smile.” _

_ “Dad, I can’t leave you behind,” she whispered. _

_ He shook his head. “You have to.” _

_ “Dad…” Before she could say something, she saw a mist starting to creep down the hallway. Now, she could feel the pressure. It was a masterful but slow spell. It… It was the work that came from an ancient dragon. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, one final goodbye. He hugged her still. _

_ Then, he pushed her away. “I’m sorry.” _

_ “Don’t be. This isn’t the end!” Soleil forced a bright smile. Then, she turned on her heel and sprinted down the hallway, desperate to escape it. However, she wasn’t far enough away to avoid the hiccuping gasp her father let out when the mist trickled down his throat, into his skin.  _

_ She lost him.) _

One foot after the other, after the other, after the other. She climbed up the tree to a rhythm, a silent dance inside her head. She couldn’t dance like her father. She couldn’t move like her father. And, according to the stories she managed to squirm out of him, she couldn’t dance like her grandmother. She didn’t belong to the great lineage. While she wasn’t Ophelia and depended solely on those dramatic stories, she still wanted to belong in some kind of way. 

She  _ needed  _ to breathe in the sun.

_ (Whoever wields Siegbert rules the country. _

_ That was the justification. That was why people never abandoned Xander even under Anankos’ possession. That’s why nobody protested when Xander took the throne immediately following Garon’s death. Nohr was many things, but traditional certainly held its weight. There was a reason Leo, Niles, and Odin faced much backlash for their marriage.  _

_ There was a reason her dads could never be wed. _

_ “I don’t understand it,” Siegbert told Soleil one day. “I thought the holy blades only work for those who are worthy.” _

_ “They do,” she started to say. She let out a quiet laugh. “Our father, I suppose, is worthy. It’s not his fault there is an ancient god within his body. The sword only acknowledges him nonetheless. Not Anankos. And our father is a righteous, beautiful man.” _

_ “I thought it’d reject him. Then, I’d wield it,” Siegbert confessed softly. It pulled a worse jagged smile from her. Not even Siegbert imagined she could pick up the sword. From the very first day, she knew her brother would be the only one that sword accepted. She didn’t have the blood required. Just as someone once told her, she was only the daughter of two retainers. She didn’t have an ounce of royalty. _

_ Soleil knocked their shoulders together. “What’s up with all of the pessimism coming from you? You’re meant to be the leader of a country, you know.” _

_ “It’s hard to smile when we lost our parents,” muttered Siegbert. _

_ She reached over and pushed at his face. “Smile. Don’t make me do it for you.” _

_ “I hate you sometimes,” Siegbert said, but the smile still twisted at his face.) _

She’s  _ so  _ close. And Soleil knew somebody would come searching for her soon enough. Caeldori would leap upon the pegasus and get to the top of the treetops at the same time it took her to get to the  _ first  _ branch. She missed when life was simple. When she climbed trees to race with Siegbert… Not when she had to climb a tree with her possessed father’s sword on her back, terrified to let it out of her sight. 

_ (Soleil frantically carved her way through the crowd. The first person to attempt to stop her was Nina. She pressed a hand against her armor and shook her head. “Soleil, there’s no point in seeing this. Go see a healer first, and then…” _

_ “No, no, I’m fine! Just let me see!” Soleil flashed a bright smile and ducked around Nina. Then, she found him.  _

_ Siegbert laid prone on a cot, every healer about him frantically trying to heal whatever invisible injury was there. He didn’t move. He barely seemed to breathe. She threw herself on him, and she groped for his pulse and any sign he was alive. _

_ “What happened?” she half-begged, half-sobbed. _

_ Dwyer hesitated. “Soleil-” _

_ “What  _ happened?”  _ She snapped her head up from his weak, decaying body and stared at them.  _

_ Forrest cleared his throat. “Blood magic. It’s… It should have killed him. It’s only the fact the spell didn’t finish. He’s in… In a coma. Either the caster of the spell needs to… To reverse it, or needs to finish it…” _

_ “So we can’t do  _ anything?”  _ Soleil asked softly. Slowly, she looked between them. And all of them slowly shook their head. Something bubbled up through her lips, and she quickly bowed her head. _

_ She wasn’t sure if she was laughing or sobbing.) _

Finally, her head broke through the top of the treetops, and she felt the warmth of the sun again. But somehow, it didn’t make her feel warmer. If anything, she just felt a lot colder.

_ - _

The groups were distributed. Each of the four groups would have five people, barring one having six. Hers definitely wasn’t the strongest, but she couldn’t bring herself to hate the distribution. 

Soleil passed her father’s orb, her father’s  _ crystal,  _ to Shiro. He offered a soft smile. “Make sure Hoshido doesn’t die either.”

“Are you finally willing to be a king?” she teased. She glanced at the other people in his team. Shiro led them to the past, to  _ whatever  _ post would give him the Raijinto from his father. The crystals weren’t an exact science. 

Asugi, Shiro’s retainer, lazily saluted her. She saluted back. Velouria and Selkie stood together, eagerly discussing human hunting, and Soleil quickly turned away. Midori sorted through the herbs in her pack.

Shigure cleared his throat. “Do you remember what to think?”

“Think of my father before he had children. I know.” Shiro glanced between them all. “I’ll miss you.”

Then, he gestured for his team to latch onto him in some way. Selkie and Velouria both grabbed his arm. Midori wrapped a lazy arm around his shoulders. Asugi held his other shoulder. Shiro took a deep breath… And then he shattered the orb.

The five disappeared, shimmering transparent and then fully disappearing. 

The next group was led by Forrest and Ophelia alike. The first thing she did was grab Ophelia and dip her into a  _ deep  _ kiss. She could hear wolf-whistling from the others, and Ophelia smiled against Soleil’s lips. 

Then, she let go of Ophelia’s shoulders and helped her straighten up. “If you die, sunshine, I’ll kill you.”

“I’m off to discuss the truth of my heritage! Not even my own father shall be able to keep me from learning of it!” She puffed out her chest. “But first, we must find my father.”

“I want good luck, but I don’t want a kiss,” Forrest joked. 

Soleil pouted. “You sure?”

“Of course… Keep Siegbert safe. Otherwise, I’ll come back crying, and it’d ruin my makeup,” Forrest said after a few seconds. Soleil carefully crossed her heart for him. 

Then, the six did the same they had before. Forrest and Ophelia both gripped the orb. Nina and Rhajat grabbed Forrest’s arm, and Caeldori and Sophie grabbed Ophelia’s. Soleil looked away before they could disappear, knowing she couldn’t maintain that smile. 

“Guess that just leaves us.” Kiragi laughed nervously. 

Shigure nodded. “That just leaves us. We need to get the Fujin Yumi and, knowing your father, will not want to be parted with it readily.”

“I just want to see my father,” Ignatius confessed.

Mitama shrugged. “I just want to go to sleep.”

Soleil stood back one more time, letting the last group disappear. Assuming this worked, they’d be back in about a week. That was their plan. They would think of a week from now in this forest, and Soleil would attempt to find the Yato here  _ while  _ leading her country. Arguably, she had a more difficult job. Then again, if she failed to find the Yato, Ophelia would find the other divine blade they might need.

Kiragi, Hisame, Ignatius, Shigure, and Mitama all disappeared in a cloud of dust. 

Soleil pivoted on her heel, and she smiled widely at the people she still had left. They had important jobs in front of them, but  _ all  _ of them hailed from Nohr. All of them had responsibilities to fulfill here. “So, ready to go take back Nohr?”

“Where do we go first?” Percy asked eagerly. Both of the fourteen-year-olds, the  _ youngest  _ in their group, were left behind. Kana barely even knew how to wield a sword, and Shigure kept hinting that maybe Kana could transform into a dragon, but they didn’t have the stone. Percy, on the other hand, had equal amounts of wide-eyed innocence as Kiragi. 

Dwyer cleared his throat. “Ice Tribe. My mom’s home.”

“Ice Tribe it is.” Soleil knew they couldn’t go straight to storm the castle. She hefted Siegfried over her shoulder, and she whistled sharply to summon Siegbert’s horse… They would have Siegbert ride, unconscious, atop the horse with Soleil beside him. 

Kana nodded. “After you, Princess Soleil.”

**Author's Note:**

> So this is PROBABLY going to be series, but the reason why this was so rough is because I really don't like the story behind the child units in Fates. Like, that story took place over months, not years. Why not WAIT to have your children, so you don't HAVE to toss them into the babyrealms?? Also, if they didn't use the other dimension, they wouldn't even have time to get to term? It doesn't make sense and I hate it, so this is an AU where the war only started like 21 years after Nohr and Hoshido made alliances, therefore giving them time to raise and have children.


End file.
